“We support the current efforts of our state leadership to provide assistance to the victims of the recent California wildfires and to ensure the state government does everything it can to reduce the likelihood and severity of future wildfires. However, we respectfully express our significant concerns with last-minute amendments incorporated into the July 5 version of Assembly Bill 1054, which would expand the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) authority over local government decision-making when considering the acquisition of assets from an electrical corporation.

This proposed expansion of CPUC authority is unnecessary to achieve the goals of the bill and would not meaningfully address the risk of future catastrophic wildfires. Additionally, this section of the bill would set a dangerous precedent by limiting local government autonomy over its own employee relationships established through locally-negotiated collective bargaining agreements.

We have requested that the legislature amend the bill to remove the sections in the bill that expand CPUC authority at the expense of local control, as these sections do not address the bill’s ultimate wildfire safety goals. As we work to implement solutions to confront climate change and its impacts, our cities and local governments can and should play a leading role in ensuring that our electricity is safe, reliable, affordable, and clean.”